Snap fastener



Maldl 2, 1943- H. J. R'rr- 2,312,443

SNAP FAsTENE-R A oiginal Filed July '-5, 1941 j/l 4,14/ v- 2f; /wf Illh l/j e! 7' 5a f/VI/ENTH. Y- @MM L/YTEH.

ATmHA/Ef A Patented Mar. 2, 1943 SNAP FASTENER Harold J. Reiter, Chicago, Ill.

Original application July 5, 1941, Serial No. 401,145. Divided and this application June 12, 1942, Serial No. 446,692

10 Claims.

This application is a division carved out of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 401,145, led July 5, 1941.

The invention relates to improvements in separable snap fastener installations and more particularly to structurally improved resilient socket elements.

The invention is concerned primarily with snap fastener socket elements having a reinforced stud receiving socket and associated piercing tangs for co-operative engagement and clinching in suitable attaching elements. The specific disclosures embrace structures embodying means to adequately reinforce the resilient stud engaging fingers of an expansible socket element against unwarranted flexing outwardly and to suitably protect said socket from being crushed or otherwise permanently distorted while in use; said means including integral piercing tangs for securing the element to the material on which it is installed.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novelly constructed snap fastener socket element having a reinforced stud receiving socket.

Another object is to provide novelly constructed female snap fastener elements having protective reinforcing means including integral tangs arranged to pierce a sheet of material on which the elements are mounted; the tangs being positioned so as to be entirely concealed when the fastener elements are installed.

Another object is to provide a snap fastener installation of a type wherein complemental portions of the material to which the fastener e1ements are attached are spaced but a minimum distance apart when the elements are inter-engaged.

Another object is to provide a female snap fastener element having a semi-floating stud receiving socket and attached piercing tangs.

Another object is to provide a strong, efficient and inexpensively constructed snap fastener element embodying novel structural features facilitating ready and secure attachment.

The foregoing and such other object of the invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following descrption; in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of a snap fastener socket installation showing the associated stud element in dotted lines. v

Fig. 2 is a top plane View of the socket element as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through a modied form of socket element having an attached socket guard provided with integral piercing tangs.

Referring particularly to the snap fastener installation illustrated in Fig. 1, the complete commercial fastener includes male and female members II and I2. Said members are secured, respectively, to separate complemental portions of fabric, leather or other sheet metal material of the kind illustrated at I3 and are arranged to detachably interlock to hold said portions together.

The socket member I2 best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a circular socket element I4 and an attaching element or cap I5. The socket element I4 preferably is formed from a thin circular sheet of metal having an inner cylindrical wall I6 formed on its lower free end, preferably with an internal ange or lip I l, to provide a restricted opening to receive the stud I8 of the associated male member I I when the parts are matingly engaged. The inner cylindrical wall I6 and the internal lips I1 are suitably slit longitudinally, as at I9, at one or more points to define a` plurality of resilient ngers adapted to yield out-- wardly when the stud is admitted or withdrawn*` therefrom. The upper end of the cylindrical wall merges with an external skirt preferably formed to define a downwardly and outwardlyl flared substantially conical breast portion 2I which terminates at or slightly below the plane of the hanged lower socket end in a substantially nat circular external ange 22.

An internally channelled ring 23 embraces the flange 22 and its upper wall 24 is provided on its inside circumferential edge with a plurality of integral piercing tangs 25 which extend upwardly substantially at right angles thereto. The lower wall 26 of the ring 23 may be flat but it preferably is curved, as shown, downwardly from the outer rolled edge thereof and then upwardly. In

keither event, its inner circumferential edge is disposed but a short distance from the resilient socket wall I6 and said inner edge may be rolled upwardly to provide a short cylindrical wall 21 having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the said socket wall I6.

It is preferable, but not essential, that the circular external flange 22 of the socket element be substantially less in material thickness than the spacing between the upper and lower walls 24 and 26 of the channelled ring 23 and that said ring have an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the outer circumference of the circular flange 22. Provision of such clearances allows the socket element to shift slightly relative to the channelled ring 23 after the unit has been secured to the material, in a manner to be described hereinafter, so that the socket may readily align itself with the mating stud element.

It should be apparent at this time that the channelled ring 23 adequately protects and reinforces the circular flange 22 and provides a rounded edge on the socket element which does not readily tear the material on which it is installed and avoids personal injury frequently'occuring when a raw metal edge is encountered. The downwardly and then upwardly curved lower wall 26 of the channel ring serves primarily to- Y ment I4 Vis placed over one face of the-'sheetv of material I3 with the stud receiving endofY its socket disposed away from said material. The piercing tangs then are forced through'the material until the upper wall 24 ofthe ring 23 rests against the face thereof. The attaching element I5, which isl shown as amolded plastic cap for the purpose of this illustration,is arranged in axial alignment withthe socket ele-1 ment against the other face of the material I3`A prior to the piercing operation. As shown/in Fig.V l, one face of the attaching element I5 is annu--` larly grooved and undercut as at-23'. The inside wall 29 ofthe groove is gradually curved'V out wardly and downwardly to present an anvil'sur-A face 'which is contacted by the free `ends of the tangs 25 when the latter are initially pressed downwardly thereagainst. Continued pressure causes the tangs to curl or roll outwardly radiallyA along said anvil surface 2-9-and clinch in the un; dercut or circumferencial channel 28.

Altho-ugh the mounting operation may be acv complished by hand, it preferably. is effected by the use of a suitable power' press to insure sufficient curling of the tangs within the channel 23.- This prevents separation of the socket and attaching element and clamps the sheet of material securely therebetween. When the member isat'- tached, the tangs are wholly concealed-from viewdue to their being spaced inwardly from the rolled` circumferencial edge of the reinforce-dsocket e1ement.

It is apparent that the tangs 2-5 cannot rstibe driven through the material and then carefully` fitted into the annular channelfof the attaching. element I5. Accordingly, the annularv entrance slot 3 I, dened by the wallsof the undercut 28,- is considerably wider than the thickness f of ether metal forming the tangs. Consequently, whether the circle defined by the pointed endsiof theicircumferencially spaced tangs 25 is'under orA over size,said tangs will alwaysfpass freely through the annular slot and engage the anvil-surface 29a It should be observed that the curvatureiof the saidv surface is substantially uniform Ythroughout its -width so as to cause'the ends of-theftangsal-i ways to contact an outwardly sloping surface and buckling of the tangs is avoided.

The socket element shown in Fig. 3 includes an inner circular piece of sheet material formed to provide an inner cylindrical wall I6 which may have an internal flange or lip I'I on its lower end and one or more longitudinal slits I9 therein to provide a plurality of resilient stud engaging fingers. An outer cylindrical reinforcing wall 2 Ia is joined to the inner cylindrical wall at their upper ends by a fold 32. The wall 2I=- terminates substantially in the plane of the lower end of the resilient fingers at which terminus it merges into an external substantially flat circular flange 22a and because of its close proximity to the inner wall it serves to prevent unwarranted outward flexing of the resilient ngers.

An internally channelled ring 23a, fitted over the circular flange 22a, has one wall 26a underlyingV the the bottom face of said flange and terminating with itsinner circumferencial-` margin rolled` upwardly slightlyA so as` to be disposedin closed proximity to the 4lowerlinternally flanged end of the inner cylindrical wall I6.' The other wall 24a of said ring overlies the top face of the circular flange 22a andlmay have itsiinner circumferencial edge disposed substantially incon--` tact-with the'outer face of the outer cylindrical wall 2Ia. A plurality of piercing tangs 25a are struck upwardly from and-substantially at' right angles to the channel wall-24e to provide attached means for securely installing the socket element ona piece of material. l Y

`The channelled ring 12S-a, like the-ring 23 on the device of Fig. 1, serves to reinforce the external socket flange l22a and provide a rolled circular edg-'eas distngushedfrom the raw edgeof flange 22211 The lower wall Zof said ring, which is disposedV below the bottom plane ofY the. resilient socket, adequately protects said socket fronrdamage While in use or While being laundered Clearly, theV instant organizations provide snap fastenerV installations wherein the socket elements ar'esubstaritia'lly embedded in thematerial and are adequately reinforced to prevent distortion of any' essential"portionthreoi'l rlhe relativetlinness ofV the' at reinforced marginal edges of the' socket elements tends tobring the complmental piecesJ ofv material closely together as' distin-r guished' from certain known' types of fasteners havinga large rollededge to receive vtangs' ca'rried by the attaching member. l

Although exemplary forms ofv construction have been illustrated and described, itisA to be ung derstood" that the disclosure' is illustrative rather than'rrestrictiv'e and thatth'e" invention' isl not wholly limited "toorganizations having a resilientIk stud receiving socket, but is to embrace suchf-varil'v ations as:- wiii--faiiilwithin-the' spirit of the 'im/ention Yand the scope of Ytlife "appended claiins I claim:

i. AA snapfsstener: socket?eimentfcinbrisiig, in couibinatioii,1Yan cylinirlricalls'tud receiving `exipansible socket,V a` circular flange-integral with' and extending downwardlyfrorithe'"uppei'feifel of-said socket and thenf outwardlyfsolaslto'disposeit's 'outerl cir'cum'feren'cial margin subStantially` in the plane of the lower endof thes'ocke't; an internally channelledVVA ring loosely embracing said circumferencial margin,'. one" wall ofV said ring Ibeing of sufficient-width toldispose'itsfinnercircumferencial edge` in closef associationwith the lower end" ofV thesocket' and? limi-t-` socket expansion; and ai plurality yofV `piercingitangs integral with the other wall of said. ring. j

2. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a cylindrical stud receiving socket, a circular flange integral with and extending downwardly from the upper end of said socket and then outwardly so as to dispose its outer circumferencial margin substantially in the plane of the lower end of the socket, an internally channelled ring embracing said circumferencial margin, one wall of said ring being of suilcient width to dispose its inner circumferencial edge in close associati-on with the lower end of the socket wall, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the other wall of said ring.

3. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a cylindrical stud receiving socket, a circular flange integral with and extending downwardly from the upper end of said socket and then outwardly so as to dispose its outer circumferencial margin substantially in the plane of the lower end of the socket, an internally channelled ring embracing said circumferencial margin, one wall of said ring being disposed below the plane of the lower end of said socket and being of sufcient width to dispose its inner circumferencial edge in close association with the lower end of the socket wall, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the other wall of said ring.

4. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a cylindrical stud receiving expansible socket, a circular flange integral with and extending downwardly from the upper end of said socket and then outwardly so as to dispose its outer circumferencial margin substantially in the plane of the lower end of the socket, an internally channelled ring embracing said circumferencial margin, one wall of said ring being disposed below the plane of the lower end o-f said socket and being of sufficient width to dispose its inner circumferencial edge in close association with the lower end of the socket and limit socket expansion, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the other wall of said ring.

5. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a cylindrical stud receiving expansible socket, a circular flange integral with and extending downwardly and outwardly from the upper end of and around said socket so as to dispose its outer circumferencial margin substantially in the plane of the lower end of the socket, an internally channelled ring loosely embracing said circumferencial margin, one wall of said ring being of sufficient width to dispose its inner circumferencial edge in close association with the lower end of the socket to limit socket expansion, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the other wall of said ring.

6. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a cylindrical stud receiving expansble socket, a circular flange integral with and extending downwardly and outwardly from the upper end of and around said socket so as to dispose its outer circumferencial margin substantially in the plane of the lower end of the socket, an internally channelled ring embracing said circumferencial margin, one wall of said ring being of suicient width to dispose its inner circumferencial edge in close association with the lower end of the socket to limit socket expansion, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the other wall of said ring.

7. In a snap fastener socket element including a stud receiving socket and a surrounding flange, an internally channelled ring receiving the outer circumferencial margin of said flange in its channel, one wall of said ring being of sufficient breadth to locate its inner circumferencial edge v in close proximity to the socket so as to reinforce the latter, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the free edge of and extending substantially at right angles to the other wall of said ring to provide means to attach the element to supporting material.

8. In a snap fastener socket element including a stud receiving socket and a surrounding ange, an internally channelled ring receiving the outer circumferencial margin of said flange in its channel, one wall of said ring being of suflicient breadth to locate its inner circumferencial edge in close proximity to the socket so as to reinforce the latter, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the free edge of the other wall of said ring to provide means to attach the element to supporting material.

9. In a snap fastener socket element including a stud receiving socket and a surrounding flange, an internally channelled ring receiving the outer circumferencial margin of said flange in its channel, one wall of said ring being of suicient breadth to locate its inner circumferencial edge in close proximity to the socket so as to reinforce the latter, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with said ring to provide means to attach the element to supporting material.

10. A snap fastener socket element comprising, in combination, a stud receiving resilient socket, a circular skirt integral with and extending outwardly and downwardly from one end of the socket, a ring having an annular internal channel arranged with said channel embracing the circumferencial edge of said skirt to dispose the bottom channel wall below the plane of said socket, and a plurality of piercing tangs integral with the inner edge of the top channel wall and extending upwardly substantially at right angles therefrom.

HAROLD J. REITER. 

